KOREA FOUNDATION

An autumnal evening with the brightest full moon—this is the embodiment of Chuseok, the traditional holiday of cool breezes. And while such refreshing scenes may have at times seemed like little more than a cruel fantasy during the record-breaking heat of the passing summer, the scorching weather is at long last retreating, and the long holiday season is fast approaching. Of course the ways of enjoying Chuseok have changed over the years, but one constant feature has been that the seasonal celebration cannot be considered complete without songpyeon, the filled half-moon-shaped rice cakes. A Chuseok passed without the sharing of a few songpyeon can hardly be considered a Chuseok at all.

  Greatly praised by Joseon troubadour Kim Byeong-yeon, also known as Kim Satgat for his trademark bamboo hat, songpyeon were traditionally made at home, though many families now buy them at rice cake stores. To make good songpyeon you knead rice powder with warm water and form them into little cakes stuffed with fillings. Then you lay pine needles on a steamer and place the rice cakes on top, alternating a few more layers of pine needles and cakes before cooking them. It is understandable that few can afford to embark on this laborious process these days, and perhaps fewer still are familiar with each of the fillings and varieties of songpyeon that differ from region to region.

  Across the Pacific, the United States and Canada each celebrate a Thanksgiving Day, their versions of Chuseok, and their ways of celebrating have changed, too. The present-day American Thanksgiving Day is vastly different from the early celebrations of the holiday as it now famously ushers in a day of shopping and big sales. However, gathering together for a celebratory feast remains the central pillar of the holiday. When people prepare their Thanksgiving spread, turkey comes first on the menu, and it is often served with mashed potatoes, which are made by boiling peeled potatoes, mashing them, and mixing them with butter, milk, salt, and other ingredients. People shared an abundant feast with neighbors as they celebrated the year’s harvest; our ancestors’ ways of celebrating and giving thanks must have been similar to theirs.

  Not long ago, China designated Zhōngqiū Jié, or the Mid-Autumn Festival, as an official holiday. On this day, the Chinese eat yuèbǐng, mooncakes, with fillings that have been enjoyed since the days of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127—1279). The cakes, symbolizing the full moon, are said to have been offered to the moon along with round fruits. Nowadays, they seem to be more popular as a souvenir for foreign tourists visiting China.

  The Vietnamese eat Bánh trung thu, which are much like the Chinese mooncakes, during their Mid-Autumn Festival, Tết Trung Thu, which is often referred to as a second Children’s Day. bánh trung thu are filled with eggs or pork, but they are rarely made at home nowadays, much like the songpyeon of Korea.

  While autumnal festivals in these countries are flavored with dessert-like treats, one such Russian festival is celebrated in a unique fashion. On St. Dmitri’s Day, a Russian holiday falling on an autumnal Saturday, people celebrate by drinking vodka made with the newly harvested grains. The fact that vodka is used to mark this indigenous holiday may come as a surprise to outsiders who associate vodka primarily with attempts to beat the harsh Russian winter.
Regardless of their regional differences, the people of the past shared their joy and gratefulness for the harvest with special food. This holiday season, we hope that all Koreans may gather with their families at home to celebrate Chuseok, enjoy songpyeon together, and express thanks to one another.

Written by Kim Shinyoung
Illustrated by Jeong Hyoju

#Holiday #Chuseok #Thanksgiving_Day#Food